Butt joint connector assembly

ABSTRACT

Connector members have respective film circuits with contact bumps of male and female sets or other complementary configurations and are brought into electrical connection by butting engagement. An elastomer underlies the bumps and is compressed by the engagement to provide contact pressure. The contact bumps of each female set are three or four in number arranged to form a triangular or square ring for engagement with a single male bump to provide a self-centering action. The male contact bump can be elongate so as to bridge completely across the ring. In other examples, both complementary contact bumps are elongate and extend in transverse directions on respective film circuits so that they are brought into transverse engagement, accommodating slight misalignment. Alternatively, instead of a bump configuration, a female member is formed by an aperture in a insulating layer of one film circuit overlying a conductive path and receiving a contact bump of the other film circuit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a butt joint connector assembly in whichrespective conductive paths of film circuit contact members areelectrically connected together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A prior connector assembly employing film circuits as contact members(flexible cable contacts) constituted by forming a plurality ofconductive paths or patterns on insulating film is disclosed, forexample, in Japanese Patent No. 4-368790, published Dec. 21, 1992 andU.S. Pat. No. 5,316,486 issued to Tanaka et al. on May 31, 1994.

In a receptacle or female housing of the prior connector assembly, thefilm circuit contact member is maintained folded into a U or channelsection with the channel mouth opening to the mating face and in a maleconnector housing to be inserted in the channel, the respectiveconductive paths of a film circuit extend along the sides of a plughousing so that contact portions of both film circuit contact membersextend parallel to the insertion or mating direction.

The prior approach is disadvantageous as during both insertion andremoval of the plug connector the conductive paths of the two filmcircuit contact members slide across each other which action may abradethe conductive paths. Furthermore, as the pitch of the conductive pathsis often small, and a high degree of precision is required in accuratelyaligning the male and female connectors during mating to connectrespective conductive paths reliably and to avoid cross connection.Thus, an accurate connector positioning guide is necessary, whichrequirement tends to increase the structural complexity andmanufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a connector assembly employingfilm circuit contact members but which virtually eliminates the risk ofabrasion of the contact parts, and where the structure of the connectorpositioning guide can be relatively simple.

According to one aspect of the invention, this is achieved by providinga butt joint connector in which the mating contact portions ofrespective film circuit contact members extend perpendicularly of themating direction or axis and are brought into mating engagement whilealigned in face to face relation. The contact portions of respectivefilm circuit contact members may comprise a plurality of contact bumpsarranged in closely spaced apart relation forming a female configurationand a single male bump which is pressed between and in engagement withadjacent portions of the bumps of the female configuration to providethe electrical connection.

As the respective contact portions of the Film Circuit Contact Membersare pressed into engagement while aligned, face-to-face, risk ofabrasion which would arise from sliding contact is obviated, while thereceipt of the male bump between a plurality of bumps provides a selfcentering action compensating for any slight misalignment andmanufacturing tolerances.

More specifically, the invention provides a butt joint connectorassembly having, male and female connector members comprising: male andfemale film circuit contact members, respectively, each comprising aninsulating film having a series of lead forming conductive pathsextending thereacross from a contact portion; each contact portioncomprising a series of contact bumps of conductive material upstandingfrom a mating face of the film and connected to the conductive paths,the series of contact bumps of the female film circuit contact memberbeing arranged in sets of pluralities of bumps with the contact bumps ofeach set being located in closely spaced apart relation to form a femalecontact bump configuration connected to a respective conductive path andthe series of contact bumps of the male film circuit contact memberbeing arranged as single bumps located at a pitch corresponding to apitch of the sets of contact bumps forming the female configuration andeach forming a male contact bump configuration; first and second filmcircuit contact member supporting housings, respectively, havingrespective mating faces; means supporting the respective film circuitson respective housings with the respective contact portions extendingacross respective mating faces substantially perpendicular to a matingdirection and with the respective contact bumps outstanding therefrom inthe mating direction; and connector guiding means for guiding theconnector members into mating engagement with mating contact portions ofrespective film circuit contact members extending in face-to-facerelation so that contact bumps of the male configuration becomeinterposed between and in contact with adjacent portions of respectivecontact bumps of the respective sets of contact bumps of the femaleconfiguration to effect reliable electrical connection betweenrespective conductive paths of the complementary connectors.

According to another aspect, the invention provides a butt jointconnector assembly having first and second, complementary engageableconnector members comprising: first and second, complementary, filmcircuit contact members, respectively, each comprising an insulatingfilm having a series of lead forming conductive paths extendingthereacross from a contact portion; each contact portion comprising aseries of elongate contact bumps of conductive material upstanding froma contact face of the film and connected to respective conductive paths,the contact bumps of the first and second film circuit contact membersbeing arranged at a common pitch and the contact bumps of the first filmcircuit contact member extending transversely of the respective contactbumps of the second film circuit contact member; first and second filmcircuit contact member supporting housings having respective contactfaces; means supporting the respective film circuits on respectivehousings with the respective contact portions extending acrossrespective contact faces and the respective contact bumps outstandingtherefrom; and connector guiding means for guiding the connector membersinto mating engagement with contact portions of respective film circuitcontact members extending in face to face relation so that complementarycontact bumps of respective connector members are brought intotransverse engagement to effect reliable electrical connection betweenrespective conductive paths of the complementary connectors.

As the respective complementary contact bumps are elongate and extend intransverse directions, a significant degree of misalignment can beaccommodated while obtaining a reliable electrical connection.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a buttjoint connector assembly having male and female connector memberscomprising: male and female film circuit contact members, respectively,each comprising an insulating film having a series of lead formingconductive paths extending across a surface thereof from respectivecontact portions; the first contact portion comprising a series of malecontact bumps of conductive material upstanding from a contact face ofthe insulating film and connected to respective conductive paths, thesecond contact portion comprising a series of apertures in theinsulating film aligned with respective conductive paths and at the samepitch as the contact bumps to form contact bump receiving recesses of afemale configuration opening to a contact face of the insulating filmremote from the respective conductive paths; first and second filmcircuit contact member supporting housings having respective contactfaces; means supporting the respective film circuit contact members onrespective housings with the first and second contact portions extendingacross respective contact faces and the contact bumps outstanding fromthe contact face of the first housing and the respective contact bumpreceiving recesses opening outwardly of the contact face of the secondhousing in a mating direction; and connector guiding means on respectivehousings for guiding the connector members into mating engagement withmating contact portions of respective film circuit contact membersextending in face-to-face relation so that the male contact bumps arereceived in respective recesses and engage respective conductive pathsthereby effecting reliable electrical connection between respectiveconductive paths of the complementary connectors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way ofexample only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing complementary connector members ofa butt joint connector assembly according to a first embodiment of theinvention aligned for mating engagement;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but with the connector assemblies inmating engagement;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a female type of film circuitcontact member of the butt joint connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5(A)-5(D) are schematic cross-sectional views showing successivestages in the manufacturing process of the film circuit contact membershown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view and an elevational view of the male and femalecontact bumps of male and female types of film circuit contact member inmating engagement;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of male and female contact bump configurationsaccording to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of male and female contact bump configurationsaccording to a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of male and female contact bump configurationsaccording to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of male and female contact bump configurationsaccording to a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B) are diagrammatic views showing the contact forcesarising in mating male and female contact bumps and the resolution ofthose forces into their components, respectively; FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B)are diagrammatic views showing the contact forces arising in adjacentgroups of mating male and female contact bumps and the resolution ofthose forces into their components, respectively;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of complementary contact bumps of a sixthembodiment of butt joint connector according to the invention;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of complementary contact bumps of a seventhembodiment of butt joint connector according to the invention;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of complementary contact bumps of a an eighthembodiment of butt joint connector according to the invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing complementary connector members ofan ninth embodiment of butt joint connector assembly according to theinvention, aligned for mating engagement;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a female type of film circuitcontact member of the butt joint connector assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the male and female contact bumps, and anelevational view of the male and female contact bumps in matingengagement, of male and female types of film circuit contact member ofthe butt joint connector of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to that taken along lineXIX--XIX of FIG. 16 but with the connector assemblies in matingengagement;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing complementary connector members ofa tenth embodiment of butt joint connector assembly according to theinvention, aligned for mating engagement;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a female type of film circuitcontact member of the butt joint connector assembly of FIG. 20; and,

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a film circuit contact member according to aneleventh embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of butt joint connectorassembly comprises a male connector member 1 and a female connectormember 3.

The male connector 1 comprises a generally rectangular housing frame 10molded in one piece of rigid insulating plastic with a pair of filmcircuit contact member holding arms 11 and 12 extending at apredetermined spacing apart from each other, in parallel relation,between opposed transverse end portions 10a and 10b; a pair of male filmcircuit contact member members 20, wound around respective holding arms11 and 12, and a retaining member 15 which clamps the male film circuitcontact member members 20 against the holding arms 11 and 12,respectively.

Rectangular section grooves 11a and 12a are formed in a mating face ofholding arms 11 and 12, respectively, to extend longitudinally thereofand elongate rubber biassing members 18 are mounted in respectivegrooves. Film circuit contact member member anchoring grooves 11b and12b are also formed in the mating face of respective holding arms 11 and12 at locations between the grooves 11a and 11b and the outer,longitudinal peripheries of the respective holding arms.

The male film circuit contact member members 20 are assembled with thehousing by anchoring edge portions 20a thereof in respective anchoringgrooves 11b and 12b (for example, with adhesive), and then winding thefilm circuit contact member members around respective holding arms 11and 12 so that the contact portions extend across the mating face, overrespective biassing members, between the arms and with trailing boardconnecting end portions diverging at a printed circuit board engagingface opposite the mating face. A tip of the retaining member 15 is theninserted between the holding arms from the board engaging face, clampingthe two film circuit contact member members 20 against inner adjacentsides respective holding arms.

In this state, the retaining member 15 is engaged by the male housing 10and an engagement means (not shown) retaining it in clamping engagementwith the film circuit contact member members.

A guiding groove 16a which is formed at the tip 16 of the retainingmember 15 then opens in the mating direction, between the two holdingarms 11 and 12.

Board mounting bosses 13 outstand from respective housing end portions10a and 10b and board mounting fixtures 17, each consisting of anL-shaped metal plate, are attached to end faces of respective housingend portions 10a and 10b.

The male connector member is securely mounted on a pcb by inserting themounting bosses 13 into mounting holes formed in the pcb and solderingthe feet of the mounting plates to solder pads on the board by aconventional reflow soldering technique.

The male film circuit contact member members 20 comprise a series ofconductive paths formed on an insulating film such as polyamide resin. Asingle male contact bump 23 is formed on each conductive path at acontact portion of the film circuit contact member which is adjacent theedge portion 20a, and a single soldering bump 25 is formed on the otherend of the conductive path at the trailing board connecting end 20b sothat, when mounted in the housing, the male contact bumps 23 arepositioned, aligned at the prescribed pitch on the biassing members 18and protrude from the mating face beyond the plane of the housing, whilethe soldering bumps 25 protrude slightly from the board engaging face ofthe male housing 10.

The female connector member 3 is similar to the male connector member 1,comprising a generally rectangular housing frame 30 molded in one pieceof rigid insulating plastic with a pair of film circuit contact memberholding arms 31 and 32 extending at a predetermined spacing apart fromeach other, in parallel relation, between opposed transverse endportions 30a and 30b; a pair of female film circuit contact membermembers 40, wound around respective holding arms 31 and 32, and aretaining member 35 which clamps the female film circuit contact membermembers 40 against the holding arms 31 and 32, respectively.

Rectangular section grooves 31a and 32a are formed in a mating face ofholding arms 31 and 32, respectively, to extend longitudinally thereofand elongate rubber biassing members 38 are mounted in respectivegrooves. Film circuit contact member anchoring grooves 31b and 32b arealso formed in the mating face of respective holding arms 31 and 32 atlocations between the grooves 31a and 31b and the outer, longitudinalperipheries of the respective holding arms.

Rectangular section grooves 31a and 32a are formed in a mating face ofholding arms 31 and 32, respectively, to extend longitudinally thereofand elongate rubber biassing members 38 are mounted in respectivegrooves. Film circuit contact member anchoring grooves 31b and 32b arealso formed in the mating face of respective holding arms 31 and 32 atlocations between the grooves 31a and 31b and the outer, longitudinalperipheries of the respective holding arms.

Assembly of the female film circuit contact member members with thehousing is similar to that of the male film circuit contact member. Edgeportions 40a of the female film circuit contact member members 40 areanchored in respective anchoring grooves 31b and 32b, and then woundaround respective holding arms 31 and 32 so that the contact portionsextend across the mating face, over respective biassing members, betweenthe arms and with trailing board connecting end portions diverging froma printed circuit board engaging face opposite the mating face. A tip ofthe retaining member 35 is then inserted between the holding arms fromthe board engaging face, clamping the two film circuit contact membermembers 40 against inner adjacent sides of respective holding arms.

A guiding rib 36a of complementary shape to the groove 16a formed at thetip 36 of the retaining member 35 then protrudes in the mating directionbeyond the mating face, between the two holding arms 31 and 32.

As with the male film circuit contact member members, board mountingbosses 33 outstand from respective housing end portions 30a and 30b andboard mounting fixtures 37, each consisting of an L-shaped metal plate,are attached to end faces of respective housing end portions 30a and30b, for mounting on a pcb in a similar manner to the male connectormember.

Each female film circuit contact member 40 is of generally similarconstruction to the male film circuit contact member member 20 but,instead of a single male bump, a set of four, smaller, contact bumps 43grouped as a square ring forming a female configuration are formed oneach conductive path at equal intervals at a contact portion of the filmcircuit contact member member which is adjacent the edge portion 40a,and a single soldering bump 45 is formed on the other end of arespective conductive path at the trailing board connecting end 40b sothat, when mounted in the housing, the female contact bumps 43 arepositioned and aligned at the prescribed pitch on the biassing members38 in coplanar relation with the mating face of the housing, while thesoldering bumps 45 protrude slightly from the board engaging face of thefemale housing 30.

Both the male and female film circuit contact member members 20 and 40,are made, for example, from a substrate called ASMAT, manufactured byNitto Denko (Inc.). The manufacturing process for the substrate isdescribed with reference to FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), an insulating film layer 90 consisting ofpolyamide is formed by casting the molten plastic on a copper foil 95.As shown in FIG. 5(B), the copper foil 95 is then etched forming aresidual pattern of conductive paths 96 on one surface of the film. Asshown in FIG. 5(C), small apertures 91 are then formed through theinsulating film layer 90 at predetermined locations which are alignedwith respective conductive paths. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5(D), theinterior of each small aperture 91 is filled with metal which is furtherbuilt up to form the bumps 94. As a result, each bump 94 protrudes abovethe other, opposite surface of the insulating film and is connected tothe wiring pattern layer 96 via the filling metal 93 which extendsthrough respective apertures.

Thus, in summary, the female film circuit contact member member 40consists of the insulating film layer 41a and a plurality of conductivepaths or wiring pattern layers 41b which are formed on the undersidethereof, as shown in FIG. 4. At an edge portion of the insulating filmlayer 41a, corresponding to the contact portion of the film circuitcontact member, groups or rings of four small holes 41c are formed overeach respective wiring pattern layer 41b and are filled with metal (Ni,Au, Cu, etc.) which is built up to form four-unit sets of female contactbumps 43 on the opposite face of the film from the conductive paths 41b.

A single aperture 41d is formed by piercing through both each conductivepath 41b and the overlying insulating film and is filled with solderwhich is built up to form a soldering bump 45 extending vertically bothabove and below the film and conductive path.

Although only a single soldering bump 45 is shown for each conductivepath in this example, it will be appreciated that a plurality of suchbumps may be provided. In either case, the surface mounting on a pcb iseasily accomplished simply by heating the bump with an ultrasonicheater.

In order to obviate a risk of a solder bridge forming between adjacentsolder bumps 45 during solder reflow, slits 47 are formed through theinsulating film layer 45 between each of the soldering bumps 45.Furthermore, the slits enable flexure of the portions of the filmseparated by the slits so that even if the soldering bumps 45 are ofdiffering heights, each can be brought into firm contact with arespective conductive path on a pcb obviating risk of imperfectconnection.

The only difference between the manufacture of the male and female filmcircuit contact member 20 is that, in the male film circuit contactmember only a single small metal filled aperture is provided on arespective conductive path.

The male and female connector members 10 and 30 are moved into matingengagement or abutment in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2 so that theguiding or polarizing projection 36a of the female housing 30 isreceived in the guiding groove 16a of the female housing 10, accuratelypositioning the members so that the male and female contact bumps 23 and43, respectively, are brought into contact engagement with resilientcompression of the biassing members 18 and 38 providing a predeterminedcontact force.

As shown in FIG. 6(A) and (B), when the male and female connectormembers 1 and 3 are brought into abutment in the aforementioned manner,the male contact bump 23 is positioned at the center of the four femalecontact bumps 43, (as shown by the double dotted broken line in FIG.6(A) and they are brought into contact as shown in FIG. 6(C) so that themale contact bump 23 is surrounded by and interposed between the fourfemale contact bumps 43, and a firm and superior connection is effectedbetween the two types of bumps.

Furthermore, even if the male contact bump 23 is slightly off-centerduring connecting movement, it is centered by engagement with the femalecontact bumps 43. As a result of this self-alignment, accuratepositioning and reliable connection is obtained automatically,accommodating a margin of error or manufacturing tolerance in theprecise positions of the male and female film circuit contact membermembers 20 and 40 when assembled in their housings, facilitating ease ofmanufacture.

The male and female connector members can be retained connected togetherby a pair of U-shape spring clips which clamp over respective endportions 10a and 30a, and 10b and 30b holding them together.

Alternatively, the male and female connector members may be connected bya hinge member providing a hinge lock similar to that used in anintegrated circuit socket.

Alternative configurations of the sets of female contact bumps arepossible.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the female contact bumps 43A may beformed from a set of three small bumps arranged at equal intervals asapices of a triangle.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, female contact bumps mayformed as a pair of elongate, parallel bumps 43B and 43C. In thisconfiguration, positioning must be accurate in the pitch direction (thedirection of arrow B), but effective contact can be obtained with alarge tolerance or deviation in position in the perpendicular direction,(the direction of arrow C).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, it is also acceptable to form thefemale contact bumps 43 from a set of four small bumps arranged at equalintervals in a square shape, and to configure the male contact bump as asingle relatively long and wide bump 23A. In this case, also,positioning in the direction of arrow B must be precise, but relativelylarge tolerance or deviation in the direction of arrow C can beaccommodated.

The connecting movement of the contact bumps 23 and 43 produces a wipingaction which affords a reliable electrical connection as describedbelow.

As shown in FIG. 11(A), when the male contact bump 23 is pushedrelatively against the female contact bumps 43, the pushing force Fexerted on the engaging parts can, as shown in FIG. 11(B), be resolvedinto the horizontal and vertical components Fx and Fy, respectively. Asa result of the horizontal component Fx being in the direction of mutualseparation of the respective female contact bumps 43, the female contactbumps 43 are pushed apart slightly when they make contact with the malecontact bump 23 providing a wiping action with the male contact bumps 23whereby reliable electrical connection is obtained.

A coating of foreign matter is often formed on the surface of thecontact parts of the contact bumps 23 and 43. When a very small amountof foreign matter adheres to the surface, it is removed by theaforementioned wiping action and good contact can be obtained, but whenlarge amounts of foreign matter adhere, there is a risk of defectivecontact. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 12(A), one may considerproviding a plurality (for example, two sets) of male-female contactbumps for each one of the conductive paths to improve the reliability ofconnection.

When a plurality of sets of male-female contact bumps are provided asshown in FIG. 12 (A), the pushing force which acts on the contact partsof the two types of bumps is as shown in FIG. 12(B) where the horizontalcomponents Fx of the applied pressures F which act on the contact partsof adjacent bumps of different female sets tend to cancel each other,thereby reducing the wiping action. Consequently, it is preferable tospace the adjacent sets of female bumps sufficiently far apart tomaintain both the advantage of contact reliability by having a pluralityof contact sets connecting to each conductive path, while maintaining anadequate wiping action.

In alternative approaches the contact bumps can also be elongate asdescribed below.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first and second complementary contact bumps123A and 143A are elongate and extend in transverse or diagonaldirections on the insulating film layers 121a and 141a, respectively.When the male and female connector members 1 and 3 are connectedtogether, the first bump 123A crosses the second bump 143Aperpendicularly as shown by the broken line in the drawing.Consequently, even if the two bumps are not in precise alignment theycome into firm and reliable connecting engagement.

As shown in FIG. 14, it is also acceptable to form a pair of elongatefirst bumps 123B which extend in parallel, horizontally, and a pair ofelongated second bumps 143B which extend in parallel, vertically.Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, it is also acceptable to form pairs ofelongate, parallel, sets of first and second bumps 123C and 143C whichextend diagonally. In both cases, contact positions are shown by thebroken lines in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15.

In the examples shown in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, as the shape of the firstbumps and the second bumps are identical (or symmetrical), the filmcircuit contact member members can be interchangeable enabling thenumber of different parts to be reduced, and a reduction inmanufacturing costs.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-19, the same reference numbers havebeen used to identify parts similar to those of the first embodiment,the only difference being that the insulating film layer of the femalefilm circuit contact member is formed with through apertures formingsquare recesses overlying respective conductive paths, instead of femalecontact bumps. Edges of the apertures engage any slightly misalignedmale contact bumps to provide a centering action assuring that thecontact bumps are fully received in the respective apertures inengagement with the conductive paths. However, as the matching orcomplementary contact parts are brought into contact merely by beingpushed together into normal abutment, they do not rub against eachother, and there is no danger of abrasion of the contact parts.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 20-22, the same reference numbers havebeen used to identify parts similar to those of the first embodiment. Inthese embodiments, stress relieving and isolating slits 402 are formedbetween adjacent sets of four, in-line, hemispherical contact bumps 43forming the female configuration or, when the sets of contact bumps arestaggered, as shown in FIG. 22, and the center-line spacing betweenadjacent contact sets is reduced, between each set and adjacentconductive paths 41b. In addition, slits 401 are formed between adjacentsoldering bumps 45 at a board connecting edge portion of the filmcircuit contact member.

Thus, the invention provide the advantages of obviating risk of abrasionof the contact parts as they are only brought into engagementsubstantially only during mating contact, enabling a long life with manycycles of connection and disconnection while the receipt of the malebump between a plurality of female bumps enables a firm reliableconnection with a desirable small wiping action and a self centeringaction.

Furthermore, where the complementary contact bumps are elongate andextend transversely, significant tolerances resulting in misalignmentcan be accommodated while the complementary contact bumps can haveidentical form so that only a single type of film circuit contact memberneed be manufactured reducing the number of components required andtherefore inventory, tooling and manufacturing costs.

We claim:
 1. A butt joint connector assembly having, male and femaleconnector members comprising:male and female flexible film circuitcontact members, respectively, each comprising a flexible insulatingfilm having a series of lead forming conductive paths extendingthereacross from a contact portion; each contact portion comprising aseries of contact bumps of conductive material upstanding from a matingface of the film and connected to the conductive paths, the series ofcontact bumps of the female film circuit contact member being arrangedin sets of pluralities of bumps with the contact bumps of each set beinglocated in closely spaced apart relation to form a female contact bumpconfiguration connected to a respective conductive path and the seriesof contact bumps of the male film circuit contact member being arrangedas single bumps located at a pitch corresponding to a pitch of the setsof contact bumps forming the female configuration and each forming amale contact bump configuration; first and second film circuit contactmember supporting housings, respectively, having respective matingfaces; means supporting the respective film circuits on respectivehousings with the respective contact portions extending acrossrespective mating faces substantially perpendicular to a matingdirection and with the respective contact bumps outstanding therefrom inthe mating direction; and connector guiding means for guiding theconnector members into mating engagement with mating contact portions ofrespective film circuit contact members extending in face-to-facerelation so that contact bumps of the male configuration becomeinterposed between and in contact with adjacent portions of respectivecontact bumps of the respective sets of contact bumps of the femaleconfiguration to effect reliable electrical connection betweenrespective conductive paths of the complementary connectors.
 2. A buttjoint connector assembly according to claim 1 in which the contact bumpsof each set are four in number and are arranged to form a square ring.3. A butt joint connector assembly according to claim 1 in which thecontact bumps of each set are three in number and are arranged to form atriangular ring.
 4. A butt joint connector assembly according to claim 1in which resiliently compressible biasing means are mounted on at leastone housing member adjacent the mating face underlying the matingcontact portion of the respective film circuit contact member.
 5. A buttjoint connector assembly according to claim 2 in which the male contactbump is elongate so as to bridge completely across the ring of thefemale set of bumps in a longitudinal direction.
 6. A butt jointconnector assembly according to claim 5 in which the male contact bumpis sufficiently long to extend beyond the ring of the set of bumps inthe longitudinal direction and sufficiently wide to extend beyondcenters of all the contact bumps of the set in the lateral direction. 7.A butt joint connector assembly according to claim 1 in which each setcomprises two elongate contact bumps located in parallel relation.
 8. Abutt joint connector assembly according to claim 1 in which slots areformed in the insulating film between adjacent sets of contact bumps toisolate them from each other.
 9. A butt joint connector assemblyaccording to claim 1 in which the sets of contact bumps are in staggeredrelation along respective conductive paths and isolating slots areformed in the insulating film between respective sets of contact bumpsand adjacent conductive paths of adjacent sets.
 10. A butt jointconnector assembly according to claim 1 in which each film circuitcontact member has a circuit board engaging portion spaced apart fromthe contact portion and to which respective conductive paths extend andsolder bumps extending through apertures through the insulating film andrespective conductive paths to upstand from respective opposite surfacesof the film circuit contact member.
 11. A butt joint connector assemblyaccording to claim 1 in which isolation slots are formed betweenadjacent solder bumps.